4.11.17

October Services PMI rises


India's services activity rose to a four-month high in October on the back of stronger demand. The Nikkei India Services Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 51.7 in October, the highest since June, from 50.7 in September.

This is the second month of expansion in services activity--a reading in excess of 50 on the survey-based index reflects growth. .

The new business sub-index rose to 51.5 in October from 51.1 in September, the fastest expansion since June. Firms raised prices following an increase in input costs at the joint-fastest pace since April 2016.

Service providers were optimistic about the coming 12 months, but the level of business confidence fell to the lowest since June.

Another survey showed manufacturing activity slowed in October from the month before though it remained in the expansion zone.

The Nikkei Composite Output Index, which combines the manufacturing and services sector numbers, rose slightly from 51.1 in September to 51.3 in October.

Barring manufacturing, most of the recent data has shown the economy gathering pace after GDP growth slowed to a three-year low of 5.7% in the June quarter.

Auto sales cooled in October from a rise of more than 10% in September but the biggest companies, led by Maruti Suzuki's 9.2% expansion, showed positive growth.

Data released earlier this week showed core sector growth at a five-month high, which should also give a push to industrial growth that surged to a nine-month high in August.

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